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H. A. woOos.

SWITCH CONSTRUCTION FOR LANTERNS.

APPLICATION FILED JAN. 24-. 1917.

1,304,925; Patented May 27,1919.

\\\\x if WIT/458858.- 1 1 5. INVENTOR xflwm-m I i By 1 56 76 69 W ATTORNY6 UNITED STATES PATENT orrion.

nomnn A, woons, or mma'ivaroms, INDIANA.

SWITCH CONSTRUCTION FOR LANTERKS.

1,304,925. Original application filed November 29, 1915, SerialSpecification of Letters latent.

Patented May 27, 1919.

No. 63,981, (Patent No. 1,232,642, dated July 10,

1917. Divided and this applica tion filed January 24, 1917; Serial No.144,106.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, HOMER A. WOODS, a citizenof the United States, residing at Indianapolis, in the countyof Marionand State of Indiana, have invented a new and tained electric lantern,whereby the switch always makes positive contact when in closedposition, the operating handle of the switch is so connected to the bodyof theswitch that binding is prevented, and the switch is firmly mountedon the casing'with a minimum of parts and without possibility ofcharging the casing.

This application is a division of my copending application, Serial No.63,931, filed November 29, 1915, now Patent No. 1,232,642,

issued July 10, 1917. 1 The accompanying drawing illustrates myinvention. Figure 1 is a central vertical section, in partial elevation,through the upper portion of a lantern equipped with a switch embodyingmy invention; Fig- 2 1s a front view of the switch construction, takenfrom inside the lantern casing; Fig. 3 1s a section on the line 3 3 ofFig. 2; Fig.

4 is a detail of the connection between the switch and its co6peratinghandle; and Fig.

' 5 is a section on the line 55 of Fig. 2.

The casing 15 is of proper size and shape to receive within it asuitable number of dry cells 16, and on its front face carriesareflector housing 27 within which are a refiector 45 and a lamp bulb39, a lens 46 being 'mounted at the front end of the reflector housing27. The lamp bulb 39 and the dry cells 16 are suitably connected in anelectric current, in which is also the control switch which is thesubject matter of the present application, but the articular arrangementof connections is immaterialin the present case save that there areincluded two conductors 80 and 82 which lead to the 7 terminals of theswitch. I

' Against the inner face of the rear of the cm 15 are two superposedinsulating 50 plates and 56, which, to ether with the rearof the casing15 and t e cross bar 57 of a. rear carrying handle 58 are registeringlyhorizontally slotted to receive a link 59 of insulating material whichis pivoted at one end to the upper or moving end 0fa switch lever60,-pivotedby a pivot rivet 61 to the insulating plate 56 near the lowerend thereof. The cross bar 57 is backed by a slotted guide plate 62through the slot of which extends the stem 63 of a switchoperating knob64, which is held in place to slide along the slot in the guide plate 62by a washer 65 which is riveted to it on the opposite side of the plate62 from the knob 64. The stem 63 is continued as a pin 66 which projectsfreely through a hole in the link 59. By sliding the knob 64 along theslot in the guide plate 62, the switch lever- 60 is swung about itspivot 61 but because of the free connection between the pin 66 andthe'link 59 there is no tendency to twist the switch lever. 60 no matterhow much the knob 64 is tilted, and'thus any binding of the switch lever60 isavoided, The insulating plates 55 and 5 6, the cross bar 57, andthe guide plate 62 are'all riveted to the casing 15 by rivets 67,extending through-all such parts. The switch lever 60 has a cupshapeddepression 69 which in the two posltions of the switch may fit over two.r1vets 70 and 71 respectively. The rivet 7 1S connected by a thin metalcontact strip 72130 a contact terminal 73 riveted to the insulatingplate 56, and the PIVOT, rivet 61 is connected by a similar thin metalcontact strip 74 and the heads of the rivets 61, 70, and

71 and the rivets of the terminals 73 and 7 4 to a contact terminal 75also riveted to the insulating plate 56. The strips 72 andthe sprinfinger 76 is so located that the edge of t e switch lever 60 passesunder it as the switch lever passes into engagement with the contactrivet 7 0,so that the spring action of the finger 76 forces the switchlever 60 firmly against the rivet 70, as is clear from Fig. 5- Thecontact terminals 73 and 75 are permanently connected to the lamp 39 soas to control it.

wires 80 and 82 before referred to thereby connecting the switch in thecircuit of the the separation of the switch lever 60 from.

the casing by such insulating plates, and the connection of theoperating knob 64 to the switch lever by the insulating link 59,charging of the battery casing, the operating knob, or the carryinghandle 58 through the switch is effectively prevented; and yet theswitch is easily moved by the thumb of the operators hand grasping'therear carrying handle.

I claim as my invention:

I. An electric switch, comprising a pivoted switch arm, a switch pointwith which said switch arm is movableinto and out of engagement, and aspring finger mounted separately from said switch point and under whichthe switch arm slides when moved into engagement with said switch. pointand which acts to hold the switch arm against the switch point.

2. A switch, comprising a pivoted switch ar m, a-cotiperating switchcontact, an operating knob, a slotted guide platein which said operatingknob is slidable, said operating knob having enlargements on each sideof said slotted guide plate so as to hold the operating knob frommovement transverse to the guide plate, and an insulating link piv- .35

oted to said switch arm, said operating lmob having a. pin whichprojects freely through saidlink.

-3. In an electric lantern, a battery casing, two superposed insulatingplates mounted on the inner face of said casing, a switch mounted onthat one of the insulating plates which is farther removed "from thecasing, termin is also mounted on said, plate farther remove from thecasing,- connections between the switch parts and the, respectivetermihals, said connections being located between said two insulatingplates, and an operating member which projects through the casing andsaid two plates into cooperative relationship with said switch arm.

4. In an electric lantern, a battery casing,

two superposed insulating plates mounted on the inner face of saidcasingja switch mounted on that one of the insulating plates firmlywhichis farther removed from the'casing, terminals also mounted on saidplate farther removed from the casing, connections between-the switchpartsand the respective terminals, said connections'being locatedbetween said two insulating plates, and an operating member locatedoutside said battery casing and operatively connected to said switchfor. operating it.

5. In an electric lantern, a battery casing, two superposed insulatingplates-mounted on the inner face of said casing, two relatively movableswitch members mounted on that one of the insulating plates which isfarther removed from the casing, and supports for.

lating plate on which they are mounted out spaced from the casing by theother insulating plate, and an operating member which projects through/the casing and said two plates into cooperative relationship with one ofsaid switch parts.

7. In-an electric lantern, a battery casing, two superposed insulatingplates mounted on theinner face of said casing, two rela tively movableswitch members mounted on that one ofthe insulating plates which isfarther removed from the casing, supports for said switch membersprojecting through the insulating plate on which they are mounted butspaced from the casing by the other, insulating plate, and an operatingmember which pro ects through the casing and said two plates intocoiiperative relationship with one ofsaid switch parts, said operatingmember being mechanically connected to but electrically insulated fromsaid switch part.

In witness whereof, I have hereunto set my hand at Indianapolis,Indiana, this -22d day of January, 14-. D. one thousandnine hundred'andseventeen.

THOMER A. woon-s.

